School board to rotate monthly meeting sites

Compromise vote doesn’t suit South Fulton

ATLANTA – Monthly meetings of the Fulton County Board of Education will continue to rotate between North Fulton and South Fulton locations, however board members voted to have the meeting sites located in the central corridor of the county beginning in July 2014.

“Exact meeting locations have not yet been determined, but the school board will alternate its 2014-2015 meetings within the Central Learning Community, which is located in the cities of College Park, East Point, Hapeville and Sandy Springs,” said Fulton spokesperson Susan Hale.

The motion was approved on a 5-2 vote, with South Fulton members Linda Bryant and Catherine Maddox the two votes against the proposal. The lack of discussion prior to the vote was a marked contrast to the board’s previous meeting on Nov. 21 in which members clashed over the issue of rotating meetings.

The vote at the Dec. 3 meeting was likely a concession to North Fulton board members who supported holding all meetings at the new system headquarters when it opens in Sandy Springs next year.

South Fulton board members had earlier expressed a desire to hold the south meetings at a location off Flat Shoals Road, which was seen as too far south by other board members.

With the vote out of the way, the board appeared united in its desire to put the issue behind them and continue to work as a unified team. South Fulton board member Bryant alluded to the “painful process” her community was going through, but confirmed her commitment to the board’s decisions.

“As a board, we can accomplish much by working together, [and] our past efforts are all representative of the great strides we have made collaboratively,” said Bryant. “As we move forward, let’s continue to remember how much we have achieved and how much there is yet to do.”